In some telecommunications systems, subscribers gain access to services and/or content through a service provider. A wide variety of services and content are available to subscribers through various service providers. For example, in some systems, service providers enable subscribers to send and receive transmissions, such as voice, video or other data, over a telecommunications network. In other systems, subscribers can gain access to content on a public network, such as the Internet, through a service provider. Other service providers grant subscribers access to content on a private network maintained by the service provider. There are many other examples of services and content available to subscribers through service providers.
When a subscriber accesses services and/or content through a service provider, a network connection comprising several different layers is established between the subscriber and the service provider. One common layer in this network connection is the network access layer. This layer often comprises an access network, such as an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network, maintained by an access provider. Some examples of functions typically performed at this layer of the network connection include transmitting and receiving data packets at selected bandwidth and quality of service levels.
Another common layer of the network connection is the Internet protocol (IP) layer. This layer is typically implemented at the point of presence (POP) of the service provider, rather than the access provider. The functions typically performed at this layer of the network, unlike the functions performed at the network access layer, can advantageously vary based on the underlying content of a particular transmission. For example, the IP layer of the network connection may perform such functions as content filtering, anti-virus protection, or subscriber redirection.
Many subscribers have multiple subscriptions to services and/or content through one or more service providers. These subscribers may desire to gain access to multiple services and/or content simultaneously. Obtaining such simultaneous access, however, can be difficult or not even possible in many existing telecommunications systems due to a number of factors.
For example, the network connection between a subscriber and a service provider may have a first set of network access layer and IP layer parameters for one service, whereas the network connection for another service may have a different set of network access layer and IP layer parameters. Because the network access layer and the IP layer of the network connection are traditionally implemented and maintained by different parties (e.g., the access provider and the service provider), it can be difficult, if not impossible, to establish multiple simultaneous network connections and dynamically configure each connection with the appropriate network access layer and IP layer parameters.